Bronx, N.Y. — In an internet age of instant analysis and constant condemnation, Chris McCullough hears his detractors.

Syracuse University's freshman forward does not exert himself enough. He fails to squeeze sufficient energy from his willowy 6-foot-10 frame. He lacks the 'motor,' in basketball terms, to match his abundant athletic skills.

His mother, Brenda Ryer, sometimes joins that chorus of critics. She rarely watches Chris play, because both she and her son acknowledge her presence at games makes him nervous. But for those games she witnesses, she sees what her son lacks. Sometimes, she'll send him a halftime text to motivate him.

"I've said that I want you to play with more intensity," she said. "Because he does play effortlessly. It may be easy for him. But it looks like it's easy and he's not pushing as hard as he can."

Those assertions baffle McCullough, who can recite a litany of criticisms aimed at his perceived lack of enthusiasm. He hears it from media members. He hears it from coaches.

"'I'm just going through the motions. I'm not playing hard enough. I'm not running hard enough,'" said McCullough of the familiar refrain. "The way I take it is like, 'Damn, what are they seeing that I'm not seeing?' It's so effortless for me. Maybe I'm not playing hard. I don't know. People say it. I get mad sometimes because I don't notice it when I'm doing it."

Both McCullough and his mom suggest his laid-back personality contributes to his on-court demeanor. Quiet and soft-spoken when he initially meets people, McCullough lacks an aggressive edge.

"His personality is a little different," Brenda Ryer said. "He kind of glides through, so he gets those critiques that he's not playing as hard as he could. I think when he gets to Syracuse, they're going to push him more to be a little more aggressive. Just because he's a big guy and he's going to be up against a lot of big guys that are aggressive."

Jim Boeheim said he is not concerned about McCullough's languid reputation.

"I've never had a problem getting a guy to play hard," he said.

Unmotivated players, Boeheim clarified, will soon discover a seat next to him on the SU bench.

"I think he's a really good kid. I think he's gotten a little bit of a rap about not playing hard. I haven't seen it," Boeheim said. "I've watched him work out. I've watched him work out in a gym, playing 4-on-4, he plays hard. I don't see that at all being an issue."